The present invention relates to an instrument for measuring fluorescence which has occurred in a sample excited by X rays, and for measuring the life time of the fluorescence.
Well known is an instrument for measuring the property of fluorescence which has occurred in a material which is exposed to and excited by X rays so as to test the properties of materials and/or compositions.
An X-ray generation device which has been developed for medical applications is used to stimulate samples in the measuring instrument.
The pulse width of the X-ray pulse generated by the X-ray generation device, is at least 10 ns. The life time of fluorescence which occurs in a sample material is usually of the order of 100 ps to 10 ns. The pulse width of the X-ray pulse generated by the X-ray generation device is much greater than that required for measuring the life time of the fluorescence.
In addition, the pulse width of the X ray pulse generated by the Synchrotron which has recently been used is of the order of 100 ps.
Measuring instruments suitable for measuring still shorter fluorescence life times are still required in some fields. No X-ray source, however, is on the market for measuring such a short life time as described above.
The objective of the present invention is to solve this problem by utilizing an X-ray pulse train with an extremely short pulse width of 10 ps or less which can only be obtained by this new type of X-ray pulse tube exposed to a coherent light pulse train with an extremely short duration time which is generated from a laser tube.
The objective of the present invention is to provide an instrument for measuring fluorescence which has occurred in a sample excited by X-ray pulses with an extremely short duration time which has never been measured by any other conventional measuring instruments.